The award is for a film script Anderson entered in the Festival of Media Arts competition.

BEA is the flagship international academic organization for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Both organizations collaborate to inspire and educate individuals who are interested in the field of radio and television broadcasting.

Anderson will attend the BEA conference in Las Vegas in mid April to receive the award.

Anderson, who is originally from Jamaica, has been teaching at UOG for about two years.

Prior to moving to Guam, he served as an associate professor at Sterling College in Kansas.

“It is refreshing to be back on an island,” Anderson said.

He also enjoys connecting with the island’s local residents.

The script he wrote is a drama/comedy called “The Centenarian’s Birthday Party.”

Anderson explained that the script went into development and outlining in 2013, but that core writing did not begin until 2016.

“I kind of had been wanting to do this one for quite a while because I felt so passionate about it,” Anderson stated in a Pacific Daily News article.

The script’s plot is centered around a married Jamaican man and the troubled relationship he has with his family while living in the United States.

Conflict in the story arises when the husband has an affair with another man, which prompts his wife to take their two children and leave him to go back to Jamaica.

The husband later decides to marry the man, but longs to connect with his family after being ostracized for his decisions.

The husband hopes to make amends at his father’s party where he becomes a centenarian, or a person who is 100 years old.

The fundamental ideas and inspiration for the script came from Jamaican culture and Anderson’s experiences as a Jamaican transitioning to living in the United States.

Anderson was also inspired by a movie called “Monsoon Wedding,” a 2001 film that employed dramatic and comedic elements to discuss the bonds that bring families together.

With his background in film and broadcasting, Anderson hopes to inspire his students in the Communication program and the community through his teachings and work so they could pursue their own aspirations.

“I’d really like to help build Guam’s ability to tell stories more regularly in film form both as fictional documentaries and short films,” Anderson said.

Anderson has plans to collaborate with UOG’s English program to create more student short films regularly and hopes to enter them into student film festivals.